Bell Helicopter Corporation In the early 1930 's, Arthur Young , a brilliant young inventor, built and successfully demonstrated a viable, flyable helicopter model. Larry Bell , a successful entrepreneur and founder of the Bell Aircraft Corporation , was so impressed with Young's efforts that in 1941 he set the youthful inventor up in a small shop in Gardenville, New York At that time Bell was already a manufacturer of conventional aircraft such as the WWII fighter P-39 Airacobra and the P-59, America's first jet-powered airplane. In addition, Bell was to develop the X-1, which was to become the world's first super- sonic plane. By 1951, Bell helicopters were in service around the world, breaking records as fast as they were setting them. And since Bell Aircraft Corporation's reputation for helicopter manufacture began to rival its reputation as a builder of conventional aircraft , the company created a separate helicopter division which was headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Today, with Bell helicopters flying in more than 120 different countries , they are logging another ten hours every minute of every day. Our History Bell Aircraft Corporation, the predecessor of Bell Helicopter Textron was founded July 10, 1935 in Buffalo, New York by Lawrence D. Bell, a man referred to as "America's most seasoned dreamer." Bell Aircraft Corporation created a Helicopter Division which moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1951 and became Bell Helicopter Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Aircraft Corporation. In 1960, Textron of Providence, Rhode Island bought various Bell Aircraft properties including the Helicopter operation. Textron changed the name of the helicopter operation to Bell Helicopter Company, and within a few years established itself as Textron's largest division. In January 1976 the name was changed to what it is today, "Bell Helicopter Textron". In 1946 pioneers like Floyd Carlson, Joe Mashman, Art Young and Dick Stansbury were the experimental pilots developing the first Bell Helicopter models in Buffalo, New York. In 1947 they conducted flight instruction in NC-1H a Model 47; the first helicopter to receive CAA certification. In those days the Buffalo operation was essentially the only place where a pilot could get flight instruction in helicopters. The first Army helicopter pilots took their training from Bell Helicopter at this Gardenville, N.Y. location. When Bell Aircraft moved the helicopter operation to Fort Worth, Texas, all of the initial operations, including flight and maintenance training in the Model 47 took place at a leased facility in Saginaw, Texas just north of Fort Worth. This original plant, which was used for a variety of design, production, testing and training operations was commonly called the Globe Plant. This was a Naval facility that was acquired to manufacture the Cessna "Bamboo Bombers" late in the WW II era. After the war this flying field was leased to Bell Helicopter. For history buffs this was the original Globe "Swift" Airplane manufacturing facility. Pilot and maintenance training continued at the Globe Plant until 1970 when a new classroom and maintenance instruction hangar was built in Hurst just southwest of the main plant. This was location of the Bell Helicopter Training Academy and Delivery Center until 2004. Initially, pilot and mechanic training was limited to the Model 47 and the 206 JetRanger. This new Bell 1 Training Facility offered hands on pilot and maintainer training using real aircraft in a setting considered to be state of the art. This modern facility hosted training conducted by a staff of 20 people including two Instructor Pilots. The Model 206A "JetRanger" was added to the commercial product line in 1967, and as other models were produced the Training Academy staff and facility continued to grow. More hangar space, more classrooms, more aircraft, more training aids, and more maintenance and flight instructors. In 1978 Bell Helicopter and Flight Safety International completed an agreement under which Flight Safety took responsibility for the classroom and simulator training in medium twin helicopters. At the present time Flight Safety has visual and motion based simulators for the 212/412, 222/230 and 430 helicopters at their facility adjacent to the Bell Helicopter Customer Training Academy. In 1996, the Customer Training Academy opened an 18,000 square-foot wing, providing much- needed additional office and classroom space to handle the heavy customer load. From a mere trickle when Bell began training in Buffalo in the 40's, the Training Academy saw its 90,000th customer complete training in 2003. Traditional mechanic and pilot training has been the primary product of the Training Academy; but it also has the capability of producing state-of-the-art Computer Based Training (CBT). Developed primarily to meet the needs of the U.S. Military for OH-58D and V- 22 pilot and mechanic training, this CBT is also being applied to commercial training programs. The Bell Helicopter Customer Training Academy has moved to the new Customer Center located at Alliance Airport in January of 2005 and, now has a staff and offices of 62 people; 7 helicopters; 27 classrooms and laboratories, 3 Flight Training Devices; and the desire to deliver the highest quality products and services to the helicopter industry. It has been the quality of training and the genuine interest in the customer that has built the Bell Helicopter Customer Training Academy into the finest helicopter training facility in the world; which created the motto "We Train the World". 1935: Bell Aircraft Corporation 56 employees make up the entire staff of the newly found Corporation. 1941: Development begins on the first Bell helicopter. With a tethered control line model, Arthur Young proves his invention is workable. 1942: Gardenville, New York becames the site for Arthur Young and his apprentice, Bartram Kelley to produce a full-size vertical takeoff aircraft. 1943: Bell 30 The ship #1 nicknamed Genevieve flies for the first time 1945: Bell 47 ( H-13 Sioux ) 2 The Model 47 would subsequently set the stage for a whole new industry. March 8, 1946: The Bell 47 receives Helicopter Type Certificate No. 1 : NC-1H It's the first one ever granted by the Civil Aeronautics Board ( forerunner of the FAA ) 1946: Bell establishes the first flight training school for commercial helicopters pilots In December, first production helicopters are delivered to the US Army. 1949: Bell 54 ( YH-15 ) A utility helo for the USAF with a gross weight of 1225 kg 1950: Bell 48 ( YH-12 ) 13 units built. 1951: Bell Helicopter division moves to Hurst, Texas 1952: Agusta Spa licencesing aggreement to built Bell helicopters in Italy March 4, 1953: Bell 61 ( HSL-1 ) First world's helicopter designed for ASW (antisubmarine warfare) 50 units built then replaced in the US Navy with the Sikorsky S-58 ( HSS-1 then SH-34 ) April, 1953: 1000th helicopter rolls off the Bell assembly line. 1954: XH-13F A derivative of the Bell 47, it is the first Bell turbine helicopter. August 23, 1955: Bell 200 ( XV-3 ) [ XH-33 ] 3 A revolutionary concept, this aircraft converts from takeoff in helicoper mode to straight and level flight like an airplane. Starting built in 1953, this experimental aircraft flew until 1966, proving the fundamental soundness of the tiltrotor concept and gathering data about technical improvements needed for future designs. October, 1956: Bell 204 "Huey" ( UH-1 ) US Army 's first production-line turbine powered utility helicopter. The Huey is the most representative helicopter of the Vietnam era. 4 1957: Name changed to Bell Helicopter Corporation 1958: The XV-3 makes the first conversion of tilting prop-rotor aircraft 1960: Spacecraft Recovery Rotor 1960: Textron Inc. Textron purchases the defense activities of Bell Aircraft and set ups Bell Aerospace Corp as a wholly owned subsidiary with three divisions. 1962: Bell 207 Sioux Scout A derivative of the Bell 47, this gunship concept demonstrator, was a very important step for Bell and will end in the Model 209 years later. Serial number N73927 1962: Bell 533 HPH An UH-1B modified for research with sweptback wings and side-mounted turbojet engines. 1963: Bell 206 ( YOH-4 ) Serial number 62-4201 lost US Army LOH ( Light Observation Helicopter ) competition against the Hughes YOH-6 (the winner) and the Hiller FH-1100 ( YOH-5 ). However, Bell continue this model that will end in the Bell 206A civilian series and later acquired by the militaries as the H-57/58 . 1963: Bell 204B ( H-48 ) Hueys modified as missile site support helos. March 27, 1965: Bell 208 An UH-1D fitted with two Continental turbines, was the first twin turbine helicopter built by Bell. January 10, 1966: Bell 206A JetRanger 1966: Bell receives a contract for 2115 UH-1 Iroquois. A unique radar antenna is built into a blade and succesfully tested. March 17, 1966 : X-22 Tiltrotor, experimental. Bell 209 Huey Cobra ( AH-1 ) In 1966, the US Army made a request for a interim gunship helicopter to be complete in one year to be deployed in Vietnam. The winner was the Bell 209 HueyCobra against gunship derivatives of the Kaman SeaSprite, Boeing Vertol Chinook, Piasecki Pathfinder and Sikorsky S-61 5 1967 : Bell 205A ( UH-1D ) 1967 : Huey Cobras first deployed to Vietnam 1968 : TH-57 SeaRanger & OH-58A Kiowa The US Navy and US Army variants of the Bell 206A. 1969 : Bell 300 Mock-up. Tiltrotor development continues. 1970 : Bell 212 ( UH-1N ) Twin-turbine Hueys After the successful of the Models 204 / 205, Bell joined Pratt & Whitney Canada for develop a twin engine derivative, the result was the Model 212 Twin Two Twelve , soon followed by the Model 214 that was a lengthened version (with single and twin engine) of the Bell 205.